Jammu, Aug 1: Jammu and Kashmir Tribal Affairs Minister Javed Ahmad Rana on Saturday said the Omar Abdullah-led government has decided to implement the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, in its true spirit while making it clear that no fresh encroachment on forest land will be allowed.
Addressing a press conference, Rana said the Tribal Affairs Department has been made the nodal agency for implementing the Act and all Deputy Commissioners have been directed to speed up the verification and settlement of pending and fresh claims of eligible forest-dwelling Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers.
He said district-level implementation cells and a Project Management Unit have been established to assist applicants, particularly those in remote areas.
The minister also said the government has ordered inquiries into alleged excesses against tribal communities during eviction drives, adding that action will be taken wherever violations are found after examining the inquiry reports.
Rana reiterated that while no new encroachments on forest land will be tolerated, genuine claimants who have been residing or cultivating forest land for generations will have their rights decided through the legal process under the Forest Rights Act. (KINS)
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